JoAnn Merrigan

Consumer Reporter

JoAnn Merrigan brings over 20 years reporting experience to her coverage of consumer issues for WSAV.

Beginning her career in Iowa, she interviewed a long list of presidential candidates who crisscrossed that state as they participated in the now famous Iowa caucuses. In addition, she covered the governor’s office and issues involving the Iowa legislature along with education and local agriculture news. She also won an award for best feature reporting.

From there she moved to Northern California to work for a highly rated NBC station. In 1989, she had her first experience with a major earthquake. She survived the Loma Prieta Earthquake, which took the lives of 61 people in the San Francisco Bay area. For the next year, she followed the progress of earthquake victims in Watsonville, one of the hardest hit areas, as a group of people worked to rebuild their town and their lives. Later, she spent time covering major education issues in Santa Cruz, San Jose and San Francisco and also did stories on the California legislature in Sacramento.

Later, she continued her reporting career at a station in Omaha, Nebraska.

JoAnn has earned a number of awards and recognitions during her career. Most recently, JoAnn was awarded the 2014 Southeast EMMY Award for Continuing Coverage for her work on the Affordable Care Act. In 2014 JoAnn also earned a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award from Radio Television Digital News Association for Continuing Coverage for her work on the Affordable Care Act. In 2013 JoAnn also won a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Investigative Reporting for her work on Forced Insurance Bundling. She was also awarded a Gabby Award in 2013 for Best News Story for her coverage of the F.E.A.R Militia Court Hearings. JoAnn also earned an award from the Georgia Associated Press Broadcasters Association in 2013 for Specialized Reporting for her work on Problem Solving Reporting. In 2012 JoAnn also won a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for News Series for her coverage of the Altamaha River Pollution. That same year she earned recognition for her Web-Based Reporting from the Georgia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her coverage of the execution of Troy Davis.

JoAnn wants to help you understand important consumer related issues. She encourages anyone with a problem or an idea for a consumer segment to contact her at jmerrigan@wsav.com or Tweet her @WSAVMerrigan.